Cuisinart ICE 20

I purchased the Cuisinart ICE-20 Automatic Ice cream maker because of a move to a much warmer climate and more remote area (grocery store is miles away) so what better way to have fresh ice cream than to make it ourselves and the Cuisinart Ice-cream maker does it all! My husband is the ice cream eater in the family and he usually licks the blades as they come out of the machine and that is before we have frozen the mixture for 6 hours. The machine is a dream to use, the recipes very easy and I wish I would have bought the extra freezer container so I could have one in the freezer and one in the wash. Love it!

[Monday, July 21, 2008]

Better (and quieter) than expected!

Ok, I am one who will pour through hundreds of reviews before making a purchase. I had a $50 giftcard (for Macy's) and have a strict policy to only use them for something I wouldn't otherwise buy.

I have wanted an ice cream maker for years. I would look at them, think about them, and ultimately put them back on the shelves as I thought it was unnecessary in the scheme of life for another small appliance in my too-small kitchen.

Well, expiry was upon me with the giftcard (yes, almost 2 years) and I now live in a VERY rural area, where a trip for a container of ice cream is a 40 mile round trip. Did I mention I ADORE ice cream??

I finally bought this machine. My husband thought I was crazy and that I'd never use it. Made the first batch of chocolate ice cream yesterday and let me tell you it was fantastic!

This will not go unused, my husband won't allow it. We both felt it was as good or better than store purchased ice cream without the chemicals they use to keep it nice for long periods of time in the freezer. Buy your milk and cream in large containers kids, you are going to a)save a little $ and b) make a motherload of HEALTHIER ice cream. I used half and half instead of heavy cream and it was still delightful.

I am on Amazon today to buy an extra freezer container. I do think that is a bit pricey and am considering the whole reconditioned unit so that I can make two batches simultaneously. It's that good.

It DOES come out soupy when initially made. It's yummy that way-I dare you to not put a spoon in the top as it's whirring around, especially the first batch. Put it in another plastic container for a couple of hours if you prefer a harder consistency.

Oh, as for the noise-come on people, it's NOT that loud!

My standing fan makes more noise than this thing, and I'd rather hear IT whirring knowing the sweet treat awaits me! Honestly, maybe these folks got a faulty unit, or are particularly sensitive to noise- I don't think it's noisy at all :)

Only one small note to mention. When it's done try to get it out of the canister quickly because it freezes very quickly to a very hard consistency to the sides, and it takes a bit of scraping with a wooden spoon to get it off (but I had a heck of a taste test while I completed this arduous task) ! HAHA.

Buy it and enjoy, I think folks with kids would have a lot of fun with this machine letting kids come up with their own funky flavors. I know I will.

[Sunday, July 20, 2008]

Better Than Expected

After reading the reviews of this ice cream maker here on amazon, I decided to give it a try - after making sure my freezer was under 0 degrees, which it was. As soon as it arrived, I cleaned the bucket and put it in the freezer, and checked the parts. Sure, it's a bit plasticky, but that's okay with me. Then found a recipe for sorbet, made the base and put it in the fridge. Two hours before churning, I put the base in the freezer.

After reading so many complaints about the noise, I expected something between a vacuum cleaner and an airplane. That's why I was very pleasantly surprised at how quiet the unit is. I talked to my son on my cell phone right next to it while it was running, and I had no problem hearing him. Sure, it makes some noise, but nothing like a blender and quieter than our kitchen fan on medium.

After 20 minutes, I checked and the mixture was thickening, so I gave it another 20 minutes. When I was finished, my mixture had the texture of a thick milkshake, so I popped it in the freezer and it hardened right up. After 20 minutes, the bucket was still very cold even though it was over 80 in the house.

So far, so good. I'm very happy with my ice cream maker, and look forward to a summer of icy treats :)

[Saturday, July 19, 2008]

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